Shelby  County  Indiana
Obituaries

Judd

The  Shelby  Democrat
January 18, 1916
Page 8   column 3
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DESIRE  TO  LIVE  OUT
CENTURY  NOT  GRANTED
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Mrs. Frances Judd Passed
Away at Her Home Near
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NINETY-NINE  LAST  AUGUST
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Just as Old as State of Indiana and
Friends Had Planned Special
Honor for Her in Centen-
nial Celebration
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(From Tuesday's Daily.)

Mrs. Frances Judd,  who was preeminently a landmark of Shelby county, and who would have celebrated her hundredth birthday the twelfth of next August, died at her home two and a half miles south of Fairland at 6 o'clock this morning.  She passed away as gently as a child failling asleep in the arms of its mother and her son,  John,  the only person with her in the Judd homestead at the time, could hardly realize that the end had come.  He has been the faithful companion of his aged mother since the day of his birth and had never married.           At midnight last night he watched at the bedside of his mother, as she had been growing very feeble during the last few days, but she suffered very little or not at all so far as any of her relatives could determine.  Again at 3 o'clock this morning he remained at her bedside again for a few minutes, tho he is very sick himself.  Again a few minute before 6 o'clock he called to his mother again, and placed his hand upon her brow.  She could not answer and a few minutes later he knew the call had come.           Mrs. Judd loved life and in spite of her advanced age had often expressed the hope in recent years that she might live to be one hundred.  she was just as old as the state of Indiana and plans were being formulated to show her special honor on her one hundredth birthday, had she been able to round out the century.           She was very active until about one year ago, when a stroke of paralysis came, rendering her helpless.  She was born in Franklin county, August 12, 1816, and had been a resident of the community where she died since 1822.  In that year she came here with her parents,  Thomas and  Eleanor Watts.  There was no Shelbyville then, except one log cabin.  She knew all about pioneer life, knew of the hardships and its ceaseless toil, but she was always industrious and seemed happiest when busiest.  The Indians and the wild animals of pioneer days were as common to her as the domestic animals are to the residents of the county today, and until her tongue was palsied by paralysis she was one of the best entertainers in a reminiscent way in the county.

          She became the wife of  Alexander Judd,  a Shelby county farmer, in 1836, and he died in 1875.  His death and her death occurred in a house one wing of which had constituted the pioneer cabin in which they began housekeeping four score years ago.  She was the mother of nine children.  One of them,  Thomas,  she gave to her country in the Civil War.  Four of the other preceded her to the grave.  Four lived to call her blessed to the last of her days and to honor and revere her as a true Mother in Israel.  They are  John, who made his home with her;  Mrs. Daniel Bradley,  of Fairland;  Mrs. Alfred Ray,  southeast of this city, and  Mrs. Amos Smith,  near Lewis Creek.  Many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are numbered among her descendants.
          She was a member of the Old Union M. P. church near her home and the services will be held at the church at 10 o'clock Friday morning, the Rev. Mr. Johnson officiating, and the interment will be made in the Center cemetery, near the church, in charge of Stewart & Fix.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Dakota  Republican
Vermillion, South Dakota
May 21, 1874
Page 3
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A Soldier of 1812.
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Died -- In Vermillion, Sunday morning May 3, 1874, at the residence of his son-in-law,  L. Hoover, Esq.,  William Judd,  aged 94 years.
          Mr. Judd was well known to our citizens, for when the weather was fair, he usually made a pilgrimage down town, and the fact that he had been a soldier in the War of 1812, together with his extreme age, gained for him the respect and veneration of all.  Only the Wednesday before his death, he was down town and many first heard of his illness when told of his death.
          Mr. Judd was born near Washington, Mason County, Kentucky, October 15, 1789.  At 23, having removed to West Union, Brown County, Ohio, he enlisted in volunteer forces and served during what is now known as the War of 1812.  At 25, he was married to  Miss Nancy Vantreese.  From Ohio he removed to Shelby County, Indiana, where his wife died.
          Thirty years ago he removed to Georgetown, Vermillion County, Illinois, whence he went to Newport, Ind., where he was married to  Nancy Page,  whom he survived and returned to Georgetown, and remained until six years ago, when he went to Kansas with his son-in-law, L. Hooever, Esq., and thence to Clay County, Dakota.  Here he entered a pre-emption, on which he proved up, and took a homestead.
          For one of his age, he has had remarkably good health.  Wednesday, April 26, he was down town, apparently as well as usual.  Thursday, he was out of doors and fell to the ground, evidently with a stroke of paralysis.  He was helped into the house, where he grew worse, and expired Sunday morning, May 3, at 4 o'clock.,br>           He was partially blind in one eye, and had lost the other years ago; but was otherwise pretty strong, and worked around the house, doing chores, until the day of his sickness.
          When Mr. Hoover talked of going to Oregon recently, he seemed deeply interested, andevidently was anxious to make a trip.
        Mr. Judd was the father of twelve children; sixty-three grandchildren, and si great-grandchildren.
          Thus one by one depart the links that connect us with the past.
Contributed by John Addison Ballard

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